Hosea 14:5-6, " I will be as the dew unto Israel: he shall grow as the lily, and cast forth his roots as Lebanon. His branches shall spread, and his beauty shall be as the olive tree, and his smell as Lebanon."

The book of I Kings begins with the final days of David and, in hopeful anticipation, David chooses his son Solomon to succeed him according to the word of the Lord spoken by the prophet Nathan. However, Solomon's heart was turned from the LORD God of Israel.

Solomon did not keep the commandments of God but sought after strange women and worshipped their gods. Because of his disobedience God split the nation of Israel and David's sons ruled over Judah, the southern kingdom consisting of Benjamin and Judah. The ten tribes of Israel, the northern kingdom consisting of Reuben, Gad, Simeon, Mannasseh, Ehraprim, Dan, Zebulun, Issachar, Asher, and Naphtali,  were given to kings not of David's lineage. 

This book records stories and lists the kings of both the northern and southern kingdoms from 973 to 854 B.C.

I Kings 18:21, "And Elijah came unto all the people, and said, How long halt ye between two opinions? if the LORD be God, follow him: but if Baal, then follow him. And the people answered him not a word."

The tribes of the Northern kingdom chose to follow after the gods of the nations that God had cast out of the land flowing with milk and honey. A new king took command of the northern kingdoms and set up idols in the nation of Dan causing Israel to sin. God sent the prophet Elijah to draw them back; however, Israel chose to turn a deaf ear. They forgot that the Lord their God is a jealous God visiting the iniquity of the father upon the son unto the third and fourth generation.

Although the book of I Kings records one king after another in the north who chose not to follow the commandments of God you will find that God sent one prophet after another to reveal to the northern kingdom how much He loved them and desired for them to return to the God of their fathers.

This book reveals God as El Roi. A God Who sees all that we do and Who will do anything to turn us back to Him.